Data revealed: How many Israelis really trust the police?

Less than half of Israelis aged 20 and over give a positive grade to the performance of the Israel Police, and trust in the judicial system also remains relatively low. This emerges from the 2025 social survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics, which examined, among other things, public attitudes toward the police and the courts.

According to the data, 44% of the public evaluate the police's performance positively. 11% defined its performance as "very good" and 33% as "good". Conversely, 28% evaluated the performance as "not so good" and 19% as "not good at all".

In a breakdown by population groups, 45% of Jews and 39% of Arabs evaluate the police's performance positively. The gap between men and women is small: 44% of men and 45% of women expressed a positive evaluation. The survey also shows that 55% of the population trust the Israel Police.

Half of the public: The police do not treat people equally

One of the questions in the survey dealt with whether the Israel Police treats all citizens equally, regardless of gender, age, and sector. 38% of respondents thought so: 15% answered that the police treat people equally "to a great extent", and 23% "to some extent". In contrast, 50% answered in the negative – 21% thought the treatment is "not so" equal and 29% answered that it is "not at all" equal. 11% did not know how to answer.

In a breakdown by population groups, 56% of Arabs and 49% of Jews believe that the police do not treat all citizens equally. Among Jews, differences were also recorded by religious definition. According to the data provided, 33% of secular, 48% of traditional, 46% of religious, and 26% of ultra-Orthodox appeared in the breakdown dealing with equal treatment. It was also noted that 56% of secular and 64% of ultra-Orthodox believe that the police do not treat all citizens equally.

Improvement compared to 2015

Although less than half of the public currently evaluate the police's performance positively, the Central Bureau of Statistics points to an improvement compared to the survey data from a decade ago. The rate of those who evaluate the police's performance positively rose from 39% in 2015 to 44% in 2025. The improvement was recorded among Jews and Arabs as well as among men and women.

In the question of equality, an increase was also recorded: the rate of those who believe that the police treat citizens equally rose from 30% in 2015 to 38% in 2025.

Only 38% evaluate the courts positively

The picture regarding the judicial system is also complex. In response to a question about the performance of the courts in Israel, only 38% gave them a positive evaluation. 24% of respondents evaluated the performance of the courts as "not so good", 17% as "not good at all", and 22% did not know how to answer.

Among Jews, 35% evaluate the performance of the courts positively, compared to 49% among Arabs. In a breakdown by gender, 39% of men and 36% of women expressed a positive evaluation. The survey also shows that 48% of the population trust the judicial system. Among Jews, the trust rate stands at 47%, and among Arabs at 53%.

And what does the public think about equality in the courts?

45% of respondents believe that the courts in Israel treat all population groups equally, regardless of gender, age, and sector. 32% believe that the treatment is not equal, and 23% did not know how to answer.

34% of Jews and 24% of Arabs believe that the courts do not treat all citizens equally. Among Jews, 21% of ultra-Orthodox, 39% of religious, 43% of traditional, and 54% of secular believe that the courts treat the entire public equally.

59%: The duration of the court process bothered us

The survey also examined the personal experience of those who needed court services. About 7.3% of those aged 20 and over used these services in the last year. This concerns about 8% of those aged 20–64 and 4.5% of those aged 65 and over.

Most users, 65%, turned to a proceeding that is not a rabbinical court, military court, or traffic court. Of these, 57% reported that their matter was handled in a magistrate's court, 21% in a family court or labor court, and the rest in other courts, including district courts and the Supreme Court.

59% of respondents said that the duration of the handling of their matter bothered them. Conversely, 64% were satisfied with the treatment they received from the legal staff, including judges and lawyers, while 33% were not satisfied with the treatment.

Compared to 2015, no significant change was recorded in most of the indicators examined. The rate of Jews who evaluate the performance of the courts positively dropped from 40% in 2015 to 35% in 2025. The rate of Arabs who evaluate the courts as equal rose from 40% to 47%.